Gear You'll Use in Your Course (And What to Buy First)

# Gear You'll Use in Your Course (And What to Buy First)

> Walking into your first scuba course can feel like stepping into a hardware shop you don't have the manual for. Here's exactly what each piece of gear does, what your dive school hires out, and what's worth buying before your very first pool session.

## The short version

Every Australian dive school includes hire gear in the Open Water course price, you don't need to own a single thing to get certified. That said, three items are almost always worth buying before your course starts: a **mask**, a **snorkel**, and a pair of **boots**. They're personal-fit items, they're cheap relative to the rest of the kit, and a mask that fits your face properly is the single biggest thing standing between you and a comfortable first dive.

Everything else, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, weights, tank, computer, can be hired indefinitely. Many divers don't buy a full kit until they've done 20–50 dives and worked out what suits the water they actually dive in.

> **Good to know:** Hired gear at a reputable Australian dive school is serviced annually and pressure-tested to Australian standards. There's nothing wrong with using hire kit for years, most instructors did exactly that early in their careers.

## Mask, buy your own

Your mask is the one piece of gear that has to fit *your* face, not a generic one. A leaking mask is the most common reason a new diver feels miserable on their first dive, and it's almost always a fit issue rather than a skill issue.

**What it does:** Creates an air pocket in front of your eyes so you can see clearly underwater. Without one, your eyes can't focus, water has the wrong refractive index.

**What to look for:**

- **Low internal volume**, easier to clear if it floods, and easier to equalise. - **Soft silicone skirt**, the part that seals against your face. Should sit on your face with no gaps when you breathe in through your nose with the strap off. - **Tempered glass lenses**, never plastic. All reputable brands use tempered glass. - **Clear or black skirt**, clear feels less claustrophobic for beginners; black cuts glare for photographers.

**Beginner-friendly picks reviewed on SDU:**

- [Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Mask](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-big-eyes-evolution-mask), the perennial first-mask recommendation. Wide field of view, fits most face shapes, around $77. - [Cressi F1 Frameless Mask](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-f1-frameless-mask), single-lens, low-volume, packs flat for travel. - [Cressi Ikarus Mask](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-ikarus-mask), budget option around $53 that still uses tempered glass. - [Mares X-Wire Mask](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-x-wire-mask), premium wire-frame design if you want to step up.

> **Fit test:** Hold the mask gently against your face without using the strap, then breathe in through your nose. If the mask stays put on its own for a few seconds, it's a good fit. If it falls off or air leaks in, try another.

## Snorkel, buy your own (it's $20)

You'll be required to use one in your confined-water sessions, on every surface swim, and during the snorkel-test component of most courses. Hire snorkels are fine but they live in a lot of mouths. For the price, just buy one.

A simple J-tube or a basic semi-dry snorkel is all you need at this stage, the fancy purge-valve, dry-top models can wait until you know what you actually want.

## Fins, hire first, buy when you know what you like

**What they do:** Fins convert leg movement into forward motion efficiently. The bigger and stiffer the blade, the more thrust per kick, but the more leg strength they demand.

There are two strap types you'll see in your course:

- **Open-heel fins with adjustable straps**, worn over a neoprene boot. Standard for cold-water and shore diving. This is what most Australian dive schools hire out. - **Full-foot fins**, worn barefoot. Lighter, cheaper, fine for warm-water travel diving but no good if you're walking across rocks to a Sydney shore entry.

**Why hire first:** Fin preference is very personal. Some people love stiff paddle fins, others love soft split fins, others get on with channel fins. You won't know what you like until you've tried a few. If you do want to buy early, get adjustable open-heel fins so they'll fit over any boot you own later.

**Reviewed on SDU:**

- [Cressi Bonete Adjustable Fins](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-bonete-adjustable-fins), affordable open-heel adjustable fins around $51, ideal first pair. - [Cressi Tonga Diving Fins](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-tonga-diving-fins), well-priced open-heel option around $56. - [SEAC Pro Light Fins](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/seac-pro-light-fins), light, packable, good for travel. - [Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Fins](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-avanti-quattro-plus-fins), the kick-power benchmark; what to upgrade to once you know fins matter.

## Boots, buy your own

A 3 mm or 5 mm neoprene boot worn under open-heel fins. They protect your feet on shore entries, keep them warm, and stop the fin strap rubbing.

Like the mask, this is a fit item, and like the snorkel, hire boots aren't pleasant. A pair lasts years and costs less than a hire weekend. Buy a size that's snug when wet, neoprene compresses.

## Wetsuit, hire it for now

**What it does:** Traps a thin layer of water against your skin, which your body warms, that's what keeps you from getting cold. Thicker neoprene = warmer, but stiffer and more buoyant (so you'll need more weight).

**What thickness for an Australian course:**

- **NSW/VIC/SA/TAS year-round:** 5 mm or 7 mm full suit - **QLD year-round, Northern WA:** 3 mm full or shorty in summer; 5 mm in winter - **Diving outside summer anywhere south of Brisbane:** 7 mm, plus hood and gloves

**Why hire first:** Wetsuits are cut to body shape and you don't yet know whether you'll be doing mostly tropical or temperate diving. Once you do, options reviewed on SDU include:

- [SEAC Royal 5mm Two-Piece Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/seac-royal-5mm-wetsuit), well-priced two-piece around $166, popular first wetsuit for Sydney/Melbourne diving. - [Cressi Tokugawa 5mm Two-Piece Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-tokugawa-5mm-wetsuit), extra warmth for cooler southern waters, around $252. - [Cressi Fast 7mm Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-fast-7mm-wetsuit), for winter diving south of Sydney. - [O'Neill Reactor-2 3/2mm Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/oneill-reactor-2-wetsuit), tropical/Queensland summer diving. - [Mares Flexa 5mm Men's Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-flexa-5mm-mens-wetsuit) and [Mares Flexa 5mm Women's Wetsuit](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-flexa-5mm-womens-wetsuit), premium fit and stretch.

## BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), hire it

**What it does:** A jacket or harness with an inflatable air bladder. You add air at the surface to float, vent air to descend, and add small amounts at depth to hover neutrally. It also holds your tank on your back and your weights in integrated pockets on most modern designs.

**Why hire first:** A BCD is the single most expensive piece of personal kit and the choice between jacket-style, back-inflate, and travel-light depends on what kind of diving you end up doing. After a dozen dives you'll have a clear idea.

When you're ready to look, beginner-to-intermediate options reviewed on SDU:

- [Cressi Travelight BCD Detailed Review](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-travelight-bcd-detailed-review), packs to ~3 kg, ideal if you'll fly with your gear. - [Aqua Lung Dimension BCD](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/aqualung-dimension-bcd), hybrid back-inflate around $700, a comfortable all-rounder. - [Mares Bolt BCD](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-bolt-bcd), popular jacket-style around $636. - [Cressi Aquawing BCD](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-aquawing-bcd), back-inflate with weight pockets, around $753. - [Aqualung Rogue BCD](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/aqualung-rogue-bcd), modular wrap-style for divers who travel.

## Regulator, hire it

**What it does:** Reduces the 200-bar pressure in your tank down to ambient pressure in two stages, delivering breathable air on demand through your mouthpiece.

**Why hire first:** Regulators need annual servicing. If you only dive a few times a year early on, you'll spend more on servicing than on hire fees. Once you're past 30–50 dives a year, owning starts to make sense.

When you're shopping, options reviewed on SDU:

- [Cressi AC2/XS2 Regulator](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-ac2-xs2-regulator), entry-level, well-built, around $346. - [Cressi MC9 Compact Regulator](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-mc9-compact-regulator) and [Cressi MC9/XS Compact Regulator](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-mc9-xs-compact-regulator), premium balanced first stages. - [Mares Dual ADJ 62X Regulator](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-dual-adj-62x-regulator), adjustable second stage around $754. - [Aqualung Regulators Deep Dive](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/aqualung-regulators-deep-dive-a-comprehensive-review-for-recreational-divers), full overview of the Aqualung regulator range.

## Dive computer, hire for the course, buy soon after

In your Open Water course you'll either be lent a basic console computer or be taught to use dive tables and a depth gauge/timer. Either is fine for the course itself.

**What it does:** Tracks depth, dive time, and remaining no-decompression time in real time, replacing the old plan-with-tables method. It's now the standard tool every diver wears, and the cheapest piece of "real" personal kit worth owning early.

**Why buy soon:** Computers are personal, they remember *your* dive history (residual nitrogen) which matters for repetitive dives across a weekend or a liveaboard. Lending one between divers defeats the point.

Beginner-friendly options reviewed on SDU:

- [Suunto Zoop Novo](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/suunto-zoop-novo-wrist-scuba-diving-computer), the iconic first computer, simple to read, bulletproof. - [Cressi Leonardo](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-leonardo-underwater-diving-computer), single-button operation, ideal for new divers. - [Mares Puck Pro+ Dive Computer](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/mares-puck-pro-plus-dive-computer), well-priced around $359. - [Aqualung i200C Dive Computer](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/aqualung-i200c-dive-computer), colour-coded display, four modes, around $500. - [Garmin Descent G1 Dive Watch](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/garmin-descent-g1-dive-watch), wear-it-every-day dive watch, around $599.

## Tank, weights, and weight belt, always hired

You will not buy a tank as a recreational diver in Australia. Tanks need a hydro test every 12 months and a visual inspection every 6, every dive shop fills tanks they own and inspect, and most won't fill someone else's tank without seeing the paperwork. You hire one at the dive site, drop it back at the end of the day.

Weights and weight belts are similar, provided as part of the hire-gear package by every dive school. If you eventually want your own (handy if you do shore dives) options reviewed on SDU include the [Cressi Marseillaise Nylon Weight Belt](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-marseillaise-weight-belt) and [Skywoods Scuba Weight Belt](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/skywoods-scuba-weight-belt).

## What about a torch, SMB, gear bag?

Not needed for your Open Water course, but worth knowing about for after:

- **Surface Marker Buoy (SMB)**, required for boat diving in many parts of Australia after certification. The [Cressi Club HD Surface Marker Buoy](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/cressi-club-hd-smb) is a popular first SMB. - **Dive torch**, useful even on day dives for peering into overhangs. Affordable starters: [SEAC Flash Dive Light](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/seac-flash-dive-light) (~$36) or [APLOS AP02 2500 Lumen Dive Torch](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/aplos-ap02-dive-torch) (~$62). - **Mesh gear bag**, keeps everything together at the dive site and lets wet kit drain. The [Athletico XL Mesh Scuba Bag](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/athletico-xl-mesh-scuba-bag) and [TYR Big Mesh Mummy Backpack](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews/tyr-big-mesh-mummy-backpack) both work well.

## A realistic first-purchase budget

If you're newly certified and want to buy the right things in the right order, this is the path most Australian divers take:

1. **Course start (~$150–$300):** mask, snorkel, boots. 2. **First 10–20 dives (~$400–$700):** dive computer. 3. **20–50 dives (~$200–$400):** fins, once you've tried a few hire pairs and decided what you like. 4. **50+ dives (~$400–$1500 each):** wetsuit suited to your local water, then BCD, then regulator.

You're looking at roughly $1500–$3000 spread over a year or two for a complete personal kit at the value end, significantly less than the cost of a single overseas dive trip.

> **One last tip:** Don't let gear-shopping get in the way of diving. The single best thing you can do as a new diver is dive often, in varied conditions, with hired kit if necessary. Knowing what works comes from time underwater, not time on websites.

## Next steps

- Read [What to Expect in Your Pool Sessions (Confined Water Training)](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/what-to-expect-in-your-pool-sessions-confined-water-training) to see how this gear gets used in practice. - Browse all [SDU gear reviews](https://www.scubadownunder.com/gear-reviews) by category when you're ready to buy. - Find a [dive shop near you](https://www.scubadownunder.com/dive-shops), most run regular Open Water courses and can fit you for personal gear at the same time.